Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 Dates Programme and Ticket Details

The Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 (CAF26) runs from Thursday 23 April to Sunday 26 April 2026 at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff city centre, Wales. The festival showcases over 90 short films across 10 curated programmes, plus features, games sessions, live events, industry panels, and family‑friendly screenings. Tickets include a festival pass (around £90 full price / £60 concession), an industry‑day pass (£25 / £15), and individual event tickets between £7 and £9, with many options bookable via Chapter’s box office or the CAF Eventive platform.

What is the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026?

The Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 (CAF26) is a four‑day annual event in Cardiff dedicated to animated film, games, and creative industry activity. It is hosted by Chapter Arts Centre, a multi‑arts venue on Gladstone Road in Roath, Cardiff, Wales. CAF26 screens short‑film programmes, feature films, and live events, while also providing workshops, masterclasses, filmmaker Q+As, and industry networking for professionals and students.

The festival is organised by Cardiff Animation Festival (CAF), a project led by Festival Director Lauren Orme. It targets adult animation fans, families, students, and industry professionals, mixing local Welsh talent with international creators. The 2026 edition is marketed as an expanded edition, with more games content, Japanese‑animation focus, and large‑scale live events.

When does the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 take place?

The Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 runs from Thursday 23 April 2026 to Sunday 26 April 2026, over four consecutive days. Events begin on Thursday morning with the Industry Day and continue through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with a mix of daytime and evening screenings and activities. Specific sessions are scheduled hourly or in blocks across the Chapter Arts Centre spaces, including screening rooms (C2, etc.), the Studio, and the main Stage.

Each day is split into morning, afternoon, and evening slots, with keynote events, family screenings, and late‑night games or live drawings placed at different times. For example, Industry Day on Thursday 23 April runs essentially as a full professional day, with morning panels, lunch‑time socials, and afternoon workshops. The festival team advises booking individual event tickets in advance, because capacity‑limited rooms mean sold‑out screenings are common.

Where is the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 held?

The Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 is held at Chapter Arts Centre, located at 5–7 Gladstone Road, Cardiff, CF11 9LJ, Wales, United Kingdom. Chapter is a multi‑arts venue combining cinema, theatre, gallery, music, and studio spaces in one complex, making it suitable for a mixed‑media animation festival. Screenings take place in cinema rooms (such as Chapter C2), while live events, workshops, and socials use Studio and Studio spaces on the same site.

The venue is within easy walking distance of Cardiff city centre, with access via bus routes, Cardiff Central Railway Station (about a 15‑minute walk), and local cycle paths. There is on‑street parking near Gladstone Road, though spaces are limited on event days. Chapter’s own box‑office system and website integrate with CAF ticketing, allowing in‑person and online booking for both festival passes and individual events.

What is included in the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 programme?

The Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 programme includes short‑film blocks, feature‑film screenings, live‑event shows, games sessions, and industry panels, scheduled across four days. The short‑film component alone features 98 short films divided into 10 distinct programmes, grouped thematically by mood, technique, or audience (for example, playful, experimental, or family‑oriented). Each short‑film block runs for approximately 60–90 minutes, with introduction and Q+A where applicable.

The festival’s feature‑film section includes international and Oscar‑nominated animated features, such as “Little Amélie, or the Character of Rain”, which is screened as a highlight in the 2026 lineup. Live events are a core part of the brand and include “Sketch Showdown” (a live drawing game), “Rainbow Road Rumble” (a Super Mario Kart‑style competition), and “Sand On Screen” (a live performance‑style demonstration of sand‑animation techniques) by Gerald Conn. There are also collaborations with other festivals, such as Abertoir Horror Festival, presenting animated horror screenings with live scores by Welsh musicians.

For games, the 2026 edition expands its offer with sessions from the teams behind BAFTA‑winning Thank Goodness You’re Here and BAFTA‑nominated The Midnight Walk*, plus an exhibition of playable games and puppet works. These elements are timetabled on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons, often overlapping with short‑film blocks so attendees can choose between cinema, games, and live shows.

What are the ticket types and prices for Cardiff Animation Festival 2026?

Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 offers three main ticket‑type categories: festival passes, industry‑day passes, and individual event tickets. The full festival pass costs £90 (full price) or £60 for concessions, while early‑bird festival passes were priced at £72 (full) or £48 (concession) until stock sold out. These passes give access to all ticketed in‑person events at Chapter between 23–26 April, excluding the Thursday Industry Day events, which require a separate pass.

The Industry Day Pass costs £25 (full price) or £15 for concessions and is valid only for ticketed industry events on Thursday 23 April at Chapter. This pass covers panels, workshops, networking sessions, and lunch socials but, like the main festival pass, still requires individual event booking to reserve a seat due to room capacity limits. Concession pricing is typically available to students, under‑16s, over‑65s, and those receiving certain benefits, with a promo code such as DOTTY26 applying when eligible.

For people who prefer single events, individual tickets are priced between £7 and £9 per screening or event, with some exceptions for free or pay‑what‑you‑can sessions aimed at accessibility. Chapter also runs a Clwb membership for ages 16–30, which gives two free cinema tickets on sign‑up and £5 tickets for many events, including some CAF screenings. Online‑only or virtual components of the festival (such as the Cardiff Animation Weekender) may have separate online passes (£15 early bird, £20 regular) sold via the Eventive festival platform.

How do you buy tickets for the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026?

You can buy tickets for the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 either online via Chapter’s box‑office website or through the CAF Eventive virtual‑festival platform, depending on whether the event is in‑person or online. For in‑person festival passes and individual events at Chapter, purchases are handled through Chapter’s own ticketing system, accessible from the “Cardiff Animation Festival 2026” news and passes page. After selecting a pass (festival, early‑bird, or industry), you provide email address and payment details, and the pass is linked to that email account.

To secure a place in a specific session, you must then book an individual event ticket even if you hold a festival or industry pass, because screenings and rooms have strict capacity limits and may sell out. Early‑bird passes for the 2026 edition went on sale from Monday 2 February 2026 at 10:00, with remaining regular passes and individual tickets going live later in the spring. Individual event tickets for the 2026 programme generally go on sale on 14 April 2026, giving attendees about nine days to book before the festival starts on 23 April.

For online‑only events or the Cardiff Animation Weekender, tickets are accessed via the Eventive virtual festival portal, where you select the screening, enter email and card details, create an account, and receive a 7‑day activation window; once activated, you have 5 days to watch the streamed event. Some online events are offered pay‑what‑you‑can, with a small fixed‑price option (often around £3) for those who prefer not to choose their own amount.

What does the Cardiff Animation Festival Industry Day 2026 cover?

The Cardiff Animation Festival Industry Day 2026 is a professional‑focused day on Thursday 23 April 2026 at Chapter Arts Centre, aimed at animators, producers, studios, students, and commissioners. It includes panels on industry trends, funding, and distribution, workshops on craft and technology, and networking sessions where UK animation studios, freelancers, and graduates can meet funders and commissioners. Topics typically cover current UK and Welsh animation policy, funding bodies such as S4C and Channel 4, and routes into international co‑productions.

The Industry Day also features case‑study sessions with teams from recent BAFTA‑recognised projects, such as those behind Thank Goodness You’re Here and The Midnight Walk*, who discuss production pipelines, game‑animation integration, and creative decision‑making. There are practical workshops on areas like 2D animation techniques, character design, storyboarding, and sound‑design for animation, often led by experienced UK‑based animators. A lunch‑time social in the Studio area provides informal networking, sometimes with short pitch or “show‑reel” opportunities for emerging talent.

Attendance is controlled via the Industry Day Pass (£25 full / £15 concession), which grants entry to all ticketed industry sessions but still requires individual event booking to guarantee a seat. The day is designed to help students and early‑career professionals build contacts, understand career pathways in animation and games, and learn about pilot schemes and mentorship programmes run by Welsh and UK‑wide organisations.

What kind of animation and games events can you attend?

At Cardiff Animation Festival 2026, you can attend short‑film blocks, feature‑film screenings, live drawing shows, games sessions, and interactive exhibitions. The short‑film programmes are grouped into 10 themed blocks, such as “PLAY” (playful, experimental shorts) and other strands that may highlight Welsh animation, student work, or international entries. Each block is curated for a specific audience, including adults, teens, and families, with guidance on age‑suitability before each screening.

The feature‑film strand screens one or more full‑length animated features per day, often with filmmaker Q+As or panel discussions afterwards. For example, the 2026 programme includes “Little Amélie, or the Character of Rain”, an Oscar‑nominated feature, shown as a flagship evening event. Live‑event formats include “Sketch Showdown”, where illustrators compete in timed drawing challenges, and “Rainbow Road Rumble”, a large‑screen, audience‑participation racing game inspired by Super Mario Kart.

On the games front, sessions feature developers from BAFTA‑winning titles, who present behind‑the‑scenes insights into game‑animation design, narrative structure, and player‑feedback loops. Attendees can also play demo stations with trailers and playable prototypes, often alongside puppet‑making or animation‑pipeline exhibits that show how physical and digital techniques combine. These events are scheduled on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons and evenings, overlapping with short‑film slots so visitors can mix cinema with hands‑on play.

How family‑friendly is the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026?

The Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 is explicitly family‑friendly, with dedicated family screenings, shorter sessions, and accessible pricing for under‑16s and students. Many short‑film blocks are labelled as suitable for children or “all‑age” audiences, with descriptive notes on violence, language, or intensity to help parents choose. There are also live‑event formats, such as Sketch Showdown and game‑based competitions, that are structured to be engaging for primary and secondary‑school‑age children while still entertaining adults.

Ticketing supports family access: festival passes include concessions for children and students, and individual event tickets often fall in the £7–£9 range, which is relatively low for multi‑screen animation events. The Chapter 16–30 Clwb membership offers discounted tickets, which can benefit older teens and younger siblings of family groups. Some events are explicitly marked “family‑friendly” or “all‑ages” on the programme grid, and the venue provides streamlined entry and seating for small groups with buggies or strollers.

How does the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 benefit Cardiff City?

The Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 boosts Cardiff’s cultural economy by attracting domestic and international visitors, animators, and games professionals to the city for four days. It increases footfall at Chapter Arts Centre and surrounding businesses, including cafés, hotels, and transport services, during the late‑April period when tourism demand is typically lower than summer. The festival also showcases Wales‑based animation and games talent, reinforcing Cardiff’s reputation as a media and creative‑hub city alongside existing TV and film production.

For residents, CAF26 provides low‑cost festival passes and pay‑what‑you‑can events, helping maintain cultural access across income groups. The Industry Day links local students and graduates from universities such as Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University with UK‑wide studios and funders, supporting local employment pathways in animation and games. Over time, repeated editions of the festival help anchor Cardiff on the UK animation festival map, alongside events in Edinburgh and Bristol, and can attract future funding or co‑production deals for Welsh‑set projects.

How should you plan your visit to the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026?

To plan effectively for the Cardiff Animation Festival 2026, start by reviewing the full programme grid on the Cardiff Animation Festival website and marking preferred short‑film blocks, features, and live events. Decide whether a full festival pass, industry‑day pass, or single‑event tickets best suit your schedule and budget, noting that early‑bird passes sold out in February 2026 and remaining stock may be limited. Book individual event tickets as soon as they go live on 14 April 2026, especially for popular late‑night shows, games sessions, or family‑screening blocks, which often reach capacity.

If you are travelling from outside Cardiff, book accommodation near the city centre or on routes into Chapter Arts Centre, such as Gladstone Road, Roath, or the main train station area.